Version 8.3.4
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Layout Manager

With the Layout Manager you can manage the layouts for your projects. It provides for a mass (re)generation of layout definitions into corresponding HTML pages. You can also invoke the Layout Painter from the Layout Manager (for example, by opening an existing layout or by creating a new layout).

This document covers the following topics:


Invoking the Layout Manager

When you invoke the Layout Manager, the following dialog appears. It is initially empty.

Layout Manager

Start of instruction setTo invoke the Layout Manager

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Displaying the Layout Definitions for a Project

In the Layout Manager, you first have to specify the project for which you want to manage the layouts.

Start of instruction setTo display the layout definitions for a project

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Searching for Layout Definitions

If there are many layout definitions inside your project, you can limit the number of layout definitions to those starting with specific characters.

Start of instruction setTo search for layout definitions

  1. Choose the Search tab at the top of the dialog.

    Search

  2. In the Prefix text box, enter the first characters of the layout definition(s) that you want to display.

    Note:
    Do not enter a wildcard character such as the asterisk (*).

  3. Choose the Search Layout Definitions button.

    If the corresponding layout definitions can be found in the current project, they are listed at the bottom of the dialog.

Start of instruction setTo redisplay the layout definitions

  1. Choose the Application tab at the top of the dialog.

  2. Choose the Show Layout Definitions button.

    All layout definitions for the selected project are shown at the bottom of the dialog.

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Selecting Layout Definitions

In order to generate HTML pages or to remove HTML and/or XML files (see below), you first have to select the required entries in the Layout Definitions area at the bottom of the dialog.

You can select the layout definitions in different ways:

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Generating HTML Pages

For each XML layout definition, you can generate the HTML page. When an HTML page does not yet exist, it is generated. When an HTML page already exists, it is regenerated using the latest information from the XML layout definition.

See also: Java API for HTML Page Mass Regeneration.

Start of instruction setTo generate or regenerate HTML pages

  1. Select the layout definition(s) as described above.

  2. From the Operations on multiple Items menu, choose (Re)Generate HTML Pages.

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Removing HTML and XML Pages

You can either remove the HTML page(s) for the selected XML layout definition(s), or you can remove both the XML layout definition(s) and the corresponding HTML page(s).

Start of instruction setTo remove the HTML pages

  1. Select the layout definition(s) as described above.

  2. From the Operations on multiple Items menu, choose Remove HTML Pages.

    For all selected XML layout definitions, the HTML pages are deleted from the file system. You are not asked to confirm the deletion.

Start of instruction setTo remove the XML layout definition and the corresponding HTML pages

  1. Select the layout definition(s) as described above.

    Note:
    If you want to choose the command from the context menu (see below), it is only possible to select a single layout definition.

  2. From the Operations on multiple Items menu, choose Remove XML and HTML Pages.

    Or:
    Invoke the context menu and choose the Remove XML and HTML Pages command.

    A dialog box appears asking whether you really want to remove the selected XML layout definitions.

  3. Choose the Yes button.

    All selected XML layout definitions are removed from the system together with their corresponding HTML pages. They are no longer shown in the Layout Definitions area at the bottom of the dialog.

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Invoking the Layout Painter

The Layout Manager provides different commands for invoking the Layout Painter.

Start of instruction setTo create a layout in the currently selected project

  1. From the File menu of the Layout Manager, choose New.

    Or:
    Choose the following button from the toolbar of the Layout Manager.

    Open

    The Layout Painter is invoked and the dialog appears in which you have to enter the name of the file that is to contain your layout definition. See also Creating a Layout in the description of the Layout Painter.

  2. Enter a file name and select the template that you want to use.

Start of instruction setTo open a layout in the Layout Painter

  1. Select the layout definition in the table at the bottom of the dialog.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose the Open in Layout Painter command.

    The Layout Painter is invoked and the content of the HTML Preview tab is shown. See Defining the XML Layout for further information.

Start of instruction setTo invoke the Code Assistant

  1. Select the layout definition in the table at the bottom of the dialog.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose the Generate Adapter Code command.

    The Layout Painter is invoked and the content of the Code Assistant tab is shown. See Using the Code Assistant for further information.

    Note:
    The Code Assistant can only be invoked, if the Java source directory has been defined. See the description of the Configuration dialog.

Start of instruction setTo invoke the Literal Assistant

  1. Select the layout definition in the table at the bottom of the dialog.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose the Maintain Literals command.

    The Layout Painter is invoked and the content of the Literal Assistant tab is shown. See Using the Literal Assistant for further information.

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Directories

You can display the paths to the resource directories in the file system.

Directories

Information is shown for the following directories:

Directory Type Description
HTML Directory The HTML pages are always located in the root of your the application project directory. This location cannot be changed.
XML Directory All development tools read/write the XML layout definitions from/to this directory. By default, this directory is set to <your-project>/xml. If you do not want to have the layouts within your application project, you can define another directory somewhere outside of your project (see below).
Java Source Directory Shows the Java source directory of the currently selected project. By default, this directory is not defined. If you want to use the Code Assistant, you must first define the Java source directory (see below).

Start of instruction setTo define a different XML or Java source directory

  1. Choose the Directories tab at the top of the dialog.

  2. Choose the pencil which is shown to the left of the corresponding text box.

    Pencil

    A Configuration dialog box appears for the selected type of directory. Example for the XML directory:

    Configuration

  3. Specify the path to the directory.

  4. Choose the Save and Apply button.

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Java API for HTML Page Mass Regeneration

Application Designer provides a Java API for regenerating all pages of a given application project. Call the method main of class HTMLGeneratorWholeDirectory (package com.softwareag.cis.gui.generate) with the following argument list:

Argument Description
1. XML Files Directory Directory in which the XML layout files are kept.
2. HTML Files Directory Directory in which the generated HTML pages are to be output.
3. Log Directory Directory in which the log files are to be output.
4. Accesspath Directory Directory in which the generated Accesspath files are to be output.

For more details, see the Java API documentation (JavaDoc).

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